MSAD#51 Applications

International Baccalaureate

Greely High School received authorization and began offering IB courses and program to students in the fall of 2009. Students in the graduating class of 2011 were the first to complete the IB program.

What do Greely graduates say about completing the IB Diploma Programme and how it prepared them for college/university?

Why IB?

"IB’s standards, structured into interdisciplinary and multigrade lines of inquiry, were one of the models on which the common core was based, and the drive to meet the common core is drawing interest in IB even in the current tight school budget environment."

Summary Brief: International Baccalaureate Standards Development and Alignment Project

The report, which analyzes the alignment of the IB Diploma Programme standards and the Knowledge and Skills for University Success (KSUS) college-ready standards, found IB standards to be “highly aligned with the KSUS standards.” In particular, the key cognitive strategies emphasized in the Diploma—critical thinking skills, intellectual inquisitiveness and interpretation—were found to be fully aligned with the expectations of university faculty.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is a comprehensive diploma program for students in grades 11 and 12. It aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people, who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the IBO works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. The course of study utilizes international standards and is based on an integrated curriculum, and provides for multiple forms of learning techniques and assessments. The IB Diploma Programme has 2,283 schools in 132 countries. There are more than 1,173 IB Diploma Programme Schools in the Americas (Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean). Greely is the second school in the state of Maine to offer this comprehensive program.